Written questions by Pritchard.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of water consumption by data storage centres on (a) consumer and (b) agricultural water supplies.

Datacentre water consumption varies considerably based on their size and cooling method. There is currently no requirement for data centres to report on their water consumption, so an accurate assessment of their impact on water supplies to consumers and agriculture is difficult. We are working with datacentres and their trade associations to understand their impact and identify opportunities to improve reporting and water efficiencies in their design.

If he will bring forward the date by which the UK will spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on Defence.

The Government has made a clear commitment for defence spending to reach 2.5% of GDP by 2027. This is a fully funded increase, the details of which were set out in the Spring Statement.

If he will take steps to introduce new safety protocols for solar battery storage sites.

The Government has committed to consult in June 2025 on including battery storage sites within scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations.We are continuing to work closely with the industry-led Electricity Storage Health and Safety Governance Group, to ensure that a robust health and safety framework for batteries is sustained.

If she will make it her policy to encourage communities to purchase public houses through the tax system.

The government recognises the important role that pubs play in supporting high streets and local communities. At the Autumn Budget the Chancellor introduced a range of measures that support pubs. These included doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities will either gain or will see no change this year. The Chancellor also cut alcohol duty on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and is equivalent to a 1p duty reduction on a typical pint. This reduction increased the relief available on draught products to 13.9%. We intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality & leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values under £500,000, including those on the high street, from April 2026. During the interim period, for 2025-26, RHL businesses will receive a 40 per cent relief on their business rates up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and the tax multiplier applied to small properties will be frozen. RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025. By extending it, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300. There are no current plans to introduce a tax measure to support communities purchasing public houses, but the Government keeps all areas of the tax system under review. Any changes to the tax system are announced as part of the annual Budget process.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to investigate the number of fires caused by self-installed solar panels on residential properties.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs). This data includes the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available on gov.uk here.Data collected through the Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved solar panels, nor their installation method.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the change in the level of employers National Insurance contributions on the revenue budget of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities including Shropshire receiving an increase in core spending power of £69 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.In 2025/26, Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority will have core spending power of £29.4 million; an increase of 2.1 per cent on 2024/25.

If she will introduce a tax-free annual bonus to help improve recruitment and retention of special police constables.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we are committed to increasing the number of special constables across England and Wales.To support this commitment, we are exploring a range of measures to improve the recruitment and retention of special constables. This includes considering how we can better incentivise the role, recognise their service, and ensure they feel supported and valued.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps with the Fire Service college to implement a (a) national strategy and (b) protocols for local fire authorities when responding to battery storage fires.

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the equipment and training they need to safely respond to incidents, and to do so considering their individual areas’ risk profiles and Community Risk Management Plans. Government works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure that the fire and rescue sector has sufficient resource to keep the public safe.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for mental health treatment in (a) Shropshire, (b) Telford and (c) Wrekin.

Long waits for mental health services are being driven by increasing demand in a system in desperate need of change, including in Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin.The Government is piloting innovative models of care in the community, including six neighbourhood adult mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and which bring together community, crisis, and inpatient care.NHS England Planning Guidance for 2025/26 makes it clear that for this year, to support reform and improvements, we expect all providers to reduce the variation in children and young people accessing services and improve productivity.We are also improving data quality so we can support providers to understand demand across their areas. Since July 2023, NHS England has included waiting times metrics for referrals to urgent and community-based mental health services in its monthly mental health statistics publication to help services to target the longest waits.Our 10-Year Health Plan will inform the future vision and delivery plan for mental health services in England. Earlier intervention remains a key focus of the plan, with the aim of reducing pressure on mental health services.

If she will take steps with education unions to investigate links between viewing online violent social media content on personal mobile devices and physical attacks on teaching staff in schools.

All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school, and nobody should face violence or abuse. The department will always support our hard working teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the 2024 ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.From July this year, the child safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in force, requiring online services to protect children from content that is harmful to them, including violent and abusive content. The government recognises concerns about the impact of social media on children, which is why the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology commissioned a feasibility study, led by the University of Cambridge, to investigate methods and data to understand the links between children’s smartphone use, social media and their wellbeing.

What steps her Department is taking to help counter the UK operations of the GRU’s Department of Special Tasks.

National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or security matters.

If she will hold discussions with her US counterpart on taking joint steps to counter efforts by the Russian GRU to bring down transatlantic aircraft through the development of incendiary devices.

National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or security matters.

Whether her Department is taking steps to stop ISIS-K members from using conventional visa routes to travel to the UK from the central Asian republics.

It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on operational security matters or specific cases. However, all visa applications are subject to comprehensive security checks and we maximise the use of upstream interventions to prevent people who pose a threat to the UK from being able to travel.

What steps she is taking to ensure that officials in her Department are adequately trained on potential economic statecraft mechanisms that could be deployed against the UK.

The Government possesses a range of diplomatic, economic, trade and other tools to respond to economic statecraft mechanisms if they are deployed against the UK. We work with the G7 and a range of other close partners to strengthen our joint resilience in ways that uphold the rules-based international economic system.The UK Government continues to invest in training and capability building for officials in His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure economic security preparedness, including via the College for National Security. The Integrated Security Fund's Economic Deterrence Initiative has funded training and tailored analysis to improve economic security resilience and preparedness across HM Treasury.

If he will have discussions with his US counterpart on the (a) strategic contribution of Red Sea region and (b) the potential merits of retaining the United States Africa Command.

The Secretary of State for Defence has regular engagements with the US Secretary of Defense where they discuss a range of topics including Red Sea security. The UK Ministry of Defence also undertakes frequent engagement with US AFRICOM on a range of issues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to support the Free Yezidi Foundation to help tackle violence against women and girls within (a) Yezidi and (b) Iraqi society.

The UK continues to take a survivor-centred approach to support individuals who have experienced or are at risk of conflict related sexual violence, modern slavery and human trafficking.Our development programming has bolstered the authorities' and civil society's capacity to advance transitional justice and to provide protection services.For example, UK funding through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to the Government of Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs (£340,000 between 2022-2025) has strengthened the Directorate's ability to implement the Yazidi Survivors' Law and has enabled a referral mechanism, alongside civil society, for survivors to access reparations as well as mental health and psycho-social support. In addition, the UK's Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme continues to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons, including Yazidis.Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil also regularly meet with The Free Yezidi Foundation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) locate and (b) free enslaved Yazidi (i) women and (ii) children.

The UK continues to take a survivor-centred approach to support individuals who have experienced or are at risk of conflict related sexual violence, modern slavery and human trafficking.Our development programming has bolstered the authorities' and civil society's capacity to advance transitional justice and to provide protection services.For example, UK funding through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to the Government of Iraq's General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs (£340,000 between 2022-2025) has strengthened the Directorate's ability to implement the Yazidi Survivors' Law and has enabled a referral mechanism, alongside civil society, for survivors to access reparations as well as mental health and psycho-social support. In addition, the UK's Building Peace and Security in Iraq programme continues to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons, including Yazidis.Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil also regularly meet with The Free Yezidi Foundation.

If he will take steps to ensure a space defence strategy is included in the outputs from the Strategic Defence Review.

While the Ministry of Defence continues to deliver against its existing space strategy, the Strategic Defence Review provides an opportunity to assess the strategic landscape and threat picture to inform long-term decisions, including on refreshing the Defence Space Strategy. The existing strategy has led to the establishment of UK Space Command, the National Space Operations Centre, and the development of the UK’s sovereign space-based ISR programme, which we will build on going forward.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to introduce (a) identity checks and (b) spending limits for crypto betting.

There are currently no licensed gambling operators in Great Britain which allow payment using cryptocurrencies. If an operator wished to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment, they would have to satisfy themselves and the Gambling Commission, the regulator for gambling in Great Britain, that they could meet their obligations regarding anti-money laundering before they notify the Gambling Commission of a change to their payment arrangements or obtain a licence. Should a licenced operator accept cryptocurrency payments they would be subject to social responsibility arrangements, like any other operator, these include having robust identity checks, providing tools for customers to set financial limits, and conducting financial risk checks for the most vulnerable customers.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England plans to take to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

In a paper for the February 2025 sitting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Liturgical Commission wrote:“The Nicene Creed is one of the most significant, universally recognized and definitively authoritative statements of Christian faith, originating from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and later expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. It encapsulates the trinitarian shape of Christian believing, provides a comprehensive summary of the faith of the Church, and has been a central part of Christian worship for centuries”.In its paper the Commission reminded the Church of England of the historic position of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed in its worship, commended its frequent recitation in worship, and remarked on its helpfulness as a didactic aid. The paper can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2025-01/gs-misc-1408-the-use-of-the-nicene-creed.pdfThe Church of England has produced resources to mark the 1700th anniversary. The publication 'We Believe: Exploring the Nicene Creed', is a series of 24 reflections on the words of the Nicene Creed, which will also be available on the Church of England’s daily devotional app, Everyday Faith, from the day after Trinity Sunday. Each reflection explores a portion of the Creed through the lens of a short Bible passage and a simple reflection, accompanied by a treasury of prayers. These reflections will form a centrepiece of the Church of England’s contribution to this year’s celebrations, as well as providing a lasting resource for Christian education and formation.More information is available here: https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/books/9781781405154/we-believe-single-copyThe Ecclesiastical Law Society is hosting a conference in Chichester in June on ‘Nicaea Received: 1700 Years of Canons, Councils and Ecumenism’, which will be attended by the Archbishop of York and will feature speakers that include His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.As part of its regular series of events and lectures, Westminster Abbey is hosting a symposium in November on the Council of Nicaea and its influence.